Virtual fitness championship held amid COVID-19 pandemic

In a bid to promote health and fitness, the directorate of sports and youth services of Maharashtra held a national-level athletic fitness championship virtually amid the COVID-19 pandemic, an official said on Friday.

In a bid to promote health and fitness, the directorate of sports and youth services of Maharashtra held a national-level athletic fitness championship virtually amid the COVID-19 pandemic, an official said on Friday. The online national-level championship named "eNERGIZE" was organized in September and the results were announced on October 5, the official said.

At least 2,500 athletes, aspiring athletes, children, the general public across the country participated in the online event. "The aim of the event was to promote health and fitness among the general population and help athletes, aspiring and young players to keep fit amid the COVID-19 situation," said Omprakash Bakoria, the commissioner of sports, Maharashtra.

Every participant had to complete three different fitness-related exercises for 10 minutes each and upload a video of the workout, following which fitness platform Xtraliving helped assess the participants, he said. In the first, second, and third positions, both in male and female categories, have been awarded prize money of Rs 75,000, Rs 50,000, and Rs 25,000 respectively.

Shraddha Talekar, a 24-year-old gymnast from a village in Raigad district, who had represented India at a gymnastics tournament in Croatia in 2019, won the first prize in the women's category. Not only professional athletes, but even school children participated in the competition.

Four students, aged between 5 and 13 years, from Pune-based Sanskriti School also won the workout challenge and bagged certificates in three different age groups, it was stated.

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